Barrier post free of jamming points

ABSTRACT

A barrier post (1) for closing a variety of access paths as well as parking lots and parking spaces in particularly easy to use and entails no risk to the user, for example by the presence of clamping points, because the swivel hinge (4) is divided into a lower and an upper hinge (6, 7). The lower hinge (6) constitutes the link between the base (13) and the displacement shaft (11) and then only after that with the tube (5) whereas the upper hinge (7) is the link between base (3) and tube (5). The displacement shaft (11) is connected, either directly through its movement nut (15) or indirectly through a guide (8), a sliding guide (9) and movement unit (15), with the tube (5) and raises or lowers the tube by appropriate rotation. This is achieved by means of a motor (13) with drive (12) accommodated in the tube (5), but which the movement nut (15) together with the whole tube (15) is pivoted upwards or downwards, depending on the direction of rotation. By fixing a spring (22) to the movement nut (15), the vertical forces are absorbed, which makes simultaneous reduction of the driving forces possible. Unintentional raising of the barrier post (1) when a vehicle (60) is parked above it is effectively prevented because the receiver (57) is blocks by the parked vehicle. The receiver (57) is reactivated, the motor switched on and the barrier past (1) pivoted upwards only when the vehicle has left its parking place.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a National Phase Application of PCT/DE 87/00448filed 2 Oct. 1987 and based, in turn, upon German applications P37 12019.0 and G87 05 304.7 filed 9 Apr. 1987 under the InternationalConvention.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

My present invention relates to a barrier post for access ways, parkinglots and parking spaces with a base which is anchored in the ground andwith a tube which is swingable about a swivel hinge from the horizontalinto the vertical position and vice versa, with a motor and a drivelodged in the tube and optionally with a receiver or control element,also located in the tube and activatable via a portable transmitter.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In order to close parking lots, driveways and access roads, it is knownto use barriers or gates equipped with corresponding actuating meanswhich can be remote-controlled. Such barriers usually have a rigidcast-iron base which on its upper part, has the shape of some kind of aspherical head and a correspondingly built barrier which can swingthereabout by approximately 90°. Such a barrier or blocking device isknown from German Patent 19 60 399.0.

A blocking device, which is basically the same, is known from GermanPatent 27 12 546.8, but in this case the stable, cast-iron post has beeneliminated. In this case also, the barrier per se is swingable around anarticulation located at the top of the post, whereby a locking deviceensures that it can also be actuated manually, in a simple manner.

Also known are the round or square section simple posts, blockingdriveways or accesses, which are foldable and which allow access to thedriveway or the entrance way be being folded down. The folding of theposts is done manually in this case and, for this purpose, the driverhas to leave the vehicle. This is bothersome and disadvantageous,praticularly in bad weather.

Finally, such a vehicle trying to park frequently creates aninconvenient traffic hindrance. Besides, it is also necessary to equipthe barrier post with a lock, in order to prevent the folding down ofthe post by unauthorized persons, for passage.

Also, finally a barrier post is known (German open application 35 14626.5) which is swingable about a horizontal hinge, located at groundlevel. The motor and drive required for the swinging motion are locatedin the swingable part of the post, i.e. the tube. This presentsconsiderable maintenance advantages and which particularly facilitatesthe use of such barrier posts in car ports, since the overall height ofthe post of its bases can be considerably limited and preliminary workin or on the ground of the car port is not required. The motor can beprovided with a control element, which is remote-controlled, so that thedriver can fold the post down or up from the vehicle.

In the case of this known barrier post, there is the disadvantage that,in the area of the articulation, jamming points exist, which especiallyin the case of careless handling, but also during assembly anddisassembly, can become danger points. It is also disadvantageous thatfor the raising or lowering, but particularly for the raising of thepost, considerable force has to be applied, whereby in the known devicea cable is used, which in addition also has to be guided. The mechaniceffort is thus relatively high.

OBJECT OF THE INVENTION

It is the object of the invention to provide a barrier post free ofjamming points, operatable with little effort and in a safe manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The problem is solved according to the invention, by subdividing theswivel hinge into an upper and a lower hinge, offset with respect toeach other, which on the one hand connects the tube with the base, andon the other hand, connects a motion screw arranged in the tube andwhose one end is swingably connected to the base and the other end isguided along the tube, whereby the guiding is perfomed by a motion nut,movable along the motion screw which is rotatable by means of a motorand vertically arranged in the tube.

In a barrier post of this kind, no jamming points exist, since each ofthe individual components can slide into the other or over each other insuch a manner, that the danger of injury is exluded. Such a barrier postis advantageously safe and can be operated with little energyconsumption, since the rotatable motion screw and the motion nutdisplaceable thereon constitute a simple drive system. The screw is setin motion (e.g. rotation) by the motor via the drive whereby, dependingon the rotation direction of the motion screw, the motion nut movesupwardly or downwardly along the screw so that the tube is raised orlowered. The motion nut can either be fastened, so that the motion screwmoves therein up, down, or vice versa, depending on the direction inwhich the sliding guide with the motor is mounted in the tube. Based onthe relatively reduced forces to be applied, all the components can belocated in the tube, without any further ado, so that they are wellprotected and easily accessible. To the drive or motor, a receiver oremitter and control element are assigned, through which theremote-control cna be performed in a simple manner.

According to a particularly suitable embodiment of the invention, themotion screw is linked to the lower hinge connected to the base via arocker-arm- or pistol-handle-like end portion, and the motion nut isfastened at a distance therefrom, in the head area of the tube. Themotion screw with the motor is suitably inserted in this end portion,which also forms a kind of additional housing, so that the motion of themotor can simply and safely be transmitted to the end portion. This endportion is mounted on the lower hinge, so that when the motion nut isfastened in position, the swingable portion of the barrier post isautomatically set in motion.

A second suitable embodiment provides for the upper hinge to bedeveloped and mounted at the inner flexion point of the tube, and forthe lower hing to be mounted at the outer flexion point of the tube.According to the invention, it is necessary that both hinges be arrangedoffset with respect to each other the here-described embodimentsimplifies the arrangement of the motion screw or its rocker-arm-likeend portion, which, as already mentioned, is linked to the lower hinge,mounted at the lower flexion point of the tube.

The motion screw or the motor with the end portion has to follow acorresponding swivel path, when the post is either raised or lowered. Inorder to make this possible and at the same time to facilitate a safesupport of the components, the motor and its motion screw can besupported so as to be transversely displaceable in a holder with a slotassigned to the inside wall of the tube, between the lower hinge and themotion nut. The corresponding components can thus perform the necessarymotion, whereby they are securely guided and supported.

The jamming points, especially on the moving areas of the parts, can beadvantageously avoided when the end portion is shaped according to theinvention, like a pistol handle, whereby the lower hinge is arranged atthe outer end of the handle and the tube wall reaches to the innerhandle end. The lower portion or the bottom edge of the handle forms atan same time the extension of the tube wall, e.g. an external walling,when the post is in upright position. During the swivel motion, however,the handle protrudes somewhat from the line of the tube wall, but thisdoes not create any problems, since the tube wall reaches closely to thehandle end, which is correspondingly curved.

In order to be able to safely secure the post in place, and, on theother hand, to be able to remove it in a case of embergency, e.g. toaccommodate firefighters, the tube is provided with a tongue, reachinginto the area of the base and between the two hinges, having a holdwhich is shaped correspondingly to the cylinder of a lock. A cylinderlock is thereby secured in the outer wall or the base, so that byremoving or opening the lock, the tongue is released, whereby due to thefollowing swinging motion, a downpressing of the post or the tubebecomes possible, even against the force of the corotationally movingscrew.

According to a further embodiment, the motion screw is secured in theupper portion of the tube and the motion nut is articulatedly linked toa first guide, over a sliding second guide displaceable on the tube,which first guide in turn is slidably mounted and at the end of thebased articulatedly is linked to the upper hinge. Such a constructionmakes possible the indirect raising and lowering of the tube, throughthe motion of the sliding guide or the guide tube. This ensures ajam-free motion of the tube, but in this case more external componentsare required, which due to the weather, need special safegauarding andalso will require meaintenance.

By contrast, in the next described embodiment the connection betweentube and base is such that an intermediate maintenance is not necessary,since the corresponding points are weatherproof. The base and the tubeshave correspondingly running inclines, starting from the lower hinge,whereby the guide and the base, starting from the upper hinge, have avertically running partition. This configuration of the inclines on theone hand, and of the partition, on the other hand, insures for each asufficient overlapping, whereby the base has a rear wall covering orprojecting over the incline, so that no gaps remain, which could act asjamming points or create weather problems

In order to insure a safe guiding on the tube, it is advantageous toform the sliding guide as a hollow tube surrounding the tube andconnected to the guide via an articulation and to the motion nut viareleasable pins. Via this separate articulation, the sliding guide canbe moved back and forth on the tube without jamming, so thatunobjectionable transmission of forces from the motion nut via the pinsto the sliding guide and the remaining parts of the guide is insured.Since the pins are releasable, it is also possible to remove them andthen to fold the post down manually, which can be necessary especiallyin cases when access has to be given to firefighters or police. For thisreason, the invention also provides for the pins to be threaded and tobe secured in the motion nut by this threading and to be releasable viaa thihedron. Such trihedrons are commonly used by the fire departmentand the police, so that they can always pass such access ways with theirkeys. Where an access for such officials does not have to be provided,for instance in regular parking places or parking garages, it is notnecessary to have these releasable pins.

An additional guiding is provided by the pins guided in slots which areformed in the tube, whereby the slots run parallel to the tube edges. Insuch an embodiment, the slots can be adjusted to fit the shape of thepins, whereby an additional sealing can be provided for the slots by,for instance, overlapping rubber strips. Another possibility is tocreate the guide and the sliding guide as a unit and to guide the pinsin the slots formed in the tube, these slots having a curved shape. Insuch an embodiment, a single-part guide/sliding guide unit operates,which however has the disadvantage that the slots have to curved, eachcorresponding to the length of the guide and the sliding guide, becauseotherwise this construction can lead to a jamming between the parts. Afurther safeguard against jamming points is created when the contactedges between the base, tube, guide and sliding guide are deburred andbevelled towards the inner space. Then there is no surface left, wherejamming could occur or where a finger could be caught.

The force required for raising and lowering the tube with respect to thebase is safely transmitted in that the guide, which is connected to eachthe base and the sliding guide by an articulation, is built as aforce-transmitting sliding hood. The sliding guide itself consists of aforce-transmitting hollow tube, so that altogether the transmission ofthe forces originating from the motion nut is insured.

In order to absorb or compensate as much as possible the torque producedat the start of the motor, in another feature of the invention, it isprovided that the motion screw be supported by a bearing above the upperand lower hinge, and that between bearing and motion nut a springserving as a torque stay rod be provided. This spring is compressed bythe motion nut during the lowering of the tube, whereby the forcesrequired therefore are produced partially due to the fact that the tubefolds down as a result of its own weight. When the tube is raised, thespring force action is such that it pushes additionally the motion nuton the motion screw in a forward direction or so pushes the motor withthe drive. Thereby, the spring suitably presents a characteristic curveor a spring force, which insures an approximate compensation of theupward forces. The penetration of humidity into the mutually displacingparts is prevented simply by suitably provided gaskets.

An unintended raising of the barrier post lying underneath a parkedvehicle is prevented by a construction of the barrier post, whereinabove the motion nut or the motion screw, in the head of the tube thereceiver assigned to the motor is mounted. This receiver can be blocked,preferably forcibly blocked by a correspondent in the vehicle which isparked in the locked parking space assigned to the tube. Thisconstruction is assembly-friendly because the parts requiringmaintenance, including the receiver and the locking device are locatedin the barrier post itself, i.e. in the tube. Furthermore, such abarrier post is absolutely safe operationally, since it requires only areduced height above the ground level, so that a damaging of the vehicleby the folded down post is precluded. Since in addition thereto, thereceiver assigned to the drive can be blocked with respect to the remotecontrol, and is blockable particularly then when the post is folded downfor passage by the vehicle, it is certain that even when the emitter ofthe remote control is inadvertently activated, the post will be raised.

Hence damage to the bottom of the vehicle, whether intentional or not,is absolutely prevented. Such a barrier post satisfies thereby all thepertinent traffic regulations and saves the trouble for the vehicleowner to inspect the bottom of the vehicle for damage each time vehiclepasses over the post.

A particularly advantageous safeguard against raising of the postutilizes a Doppler-effect microwave transmitter - and receiver assignedto the head of the tube or the transmitter, since when the Dopplereffect occurs, the receiver is blocked. Thereby, the emitter is suitablyturned off, when the vehicle standing over the post produces aDoppler-effect. But when the vehicle is not standing over the foldedpost, the Doppler-effect cannot occur, and the receiver remainsfine-tuned, so that the post can be raised at any time as desired, forinstance when the vehicle has left the parking space and the space is tobe protected against unauthorized use. In order to improve this feature,it is provided that the microwave emitter and receiver are switchable bya sensor which can be activated by an impact on the driveway, and inthis way. It can prevent a response to a kind of Doppler-effect due tothe vehicle coming too close to the still standing post a kind ofDoppler-effect occurs which would lead to the impossibility of loweringthe standing post through remote control. The sensor thus fine-tunes theraising safety.

A further possibility to block the receiver is according to theinvention to mount a pressure switch in one of the thread paths of thedriveway, whereby the pressure switch is connected to block thereceiver. When the vehicle passes over the pressure switch or stops onthe pressure switch the receiver can be effectively blocked as long asnecessary. When the vehicle leaves the pressure switch, after acorrespondingly selected delay, the receiver is again activatable, thepost can then safely be raised again after the vehicle has left theparking space.

For the temporary blocking of the receiver it is also possible tosubordinate the receiver to an emitter set to block in response to alabel system, whereby the label corresponding to the receiver is mountedon the vehicle with an integrated metal strip. By the term safety labelsone understands safety label I mean tags or labels, such as for instanceused in the retail business for the prevention of shoplifting. Thelabels are here fastened under the bumper, namely suitably under therear bumper and are recognized by the receiver mounted in the post. Thusthe actual receiver of the remote control is blocked, so that aninadvertent raising of the post is safely precluded, as long as thevehicle stands above it. A metal strip made of a special alloy with aparticular hysteresis curve is worked into the labels, which when put ina magnetic field can be modified on the receiving side in such a mannerthat they can be used for a corresponding signals.

In a further construction, the receiver can be disabled in a controlledmanner by the vehicle, in that it can be blocked with the aid of aninduction loop located in the driveway and a thereto assigned controldevice. The vehicle disturbs the induction loop and thereby blocks thereceiver. Further, injuries through jamming or the like are avoided dueto the fact that the drive is built to deliver only 150N or less.

A further safeguard can be achieved according to the invention, byproviding, in addition to the upper and lower hinge, an articulationarranged vertically with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tubeand that in addition to the drive, tube. In addition a swivel drive isprovided. In this type of construction, the barrier post is first foldeddown from the vertical into the horizontal position, in order to be thenswung about in the horizontal position, so that it becomes possible,after the passage of the vehicle, to swing it back and then to raise itagain, so that the vehicle can not be removed by an unauthorized personwithout destroying the barrier post. In this way double security isafforded.

In order to insure the activation of a barrier post swingable about adouble articulation and to avoid false information, the horizontallylying hinge is supported in the travel direction of the vehicle and themotor and the swivel drive are connected to be alternately actuatable.Such a construction insures that when a parking space closed off by abarrier post is approached first the drive is activated, in order tobring the post from the vertical to the horizontal position. Only whenthis drive is disconnected, can the swivel drive be activated. The firstdrive can switch on the swivel drive automatically. Thus the barrierpost is folded down at first into the travel direction can be swung inthe direction of travel. In position it can be passed easily by thevehicle. After the vehicle has assumed its parking position, the swiveldrive is activated first activated, respectively so that thehorizontally lying barrier post is brought from the direction-of-travelposition into the transverse position, before the drive is activated tobring the post, respectively the tube to its vertical position. In thisvertical position, the barrier post closes the parking space or theaccess, so that now even an unauthorized activation of the barrier postcannot do any damage. Furthermore, the barrier post is always broughtback to the locking position, with corresponding switching, so thatdamage to the bottom of the vehicle cannot occur.

Vandalism or inadvertent damage can be easily recognized when the postis provided with an acoustic or optical signal emitter, which isconnected to sensors arranged on the base, laterally with respect to thetube and to the motor. The sensors detect each movement of the post andare connected so that when the drive is stationery, they immediatelyswitch on the signal emitter, i.e. announcing danger. Also otheractivation- and blocking impulses or emitters can be used, such asradar, infrared, laser, ultrasound devices. Suitably, in order toconserve the batteries or the electric current assigned to the drive,the current required for the drive is only then supplied when anactivation of the system takes place. Otherwise, only a quiescentcurrent as close as possible to zero is activated, whereby it isconceivable with the proper devices to supply this quiescent currentintermittently, in order to prolong the life of the required batteries.For instance it is conceivable to supply quiescent current in 5-secondspulses, which however requires that the emitter be in operation for acorrespondingly long time when activated. Further energy sources can befound in solar cells and the like. Whereby the solar cells can be usedalso for switching on the system, for instance with the car headlights.

The invention distinguishes itself particularly by the fact that itcreates a barrier post which, due to its construction, is absolutelysafe, has no jamming points, is easy to assemble and to operate.Furthermore, the required driving forces can be produced in the best wayin that the motor, the drive and the control element can be arranged inthe protective tube. In addition, maintenance and constructiveadvantages are offered by this arrangement. The forces required forraising and lowering the post or the tube are optimally transmitted andby the addition of a spring, kept in an optimally reduced frame ofreference. The raising safeguard offers for the barrier post a responseto the traffic regulations and quality requirements. The barrier postdoes not only meet the general regulations, but also saves the vehicleowner the trouble to inspect the vehicle each time after leaving theparking space, because an inadvertent raising or a premature raising ofthe barrier post is absolutely prevented. Advantageously, such a barrierpost can also be passed by low slung vehicles. Based on itsconstruction, such a barrier post is relatively simple due to itsalready mentioned flat configuration. Besides, such barrier posts can beadvantageously erected on available driveways, parking lots or on thefloor of parking garages, without additional work.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the presentinvention will become more readily apparent from the followingdescription, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a barrier post in folded-down position;

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of a barrier post in a half-raisedposition;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a barrier post in upright position;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section of a barrier post shown in uprightposition;

FIG. 5 is a section of the a barrier post according to FIG. 4, inhalf-raised position;

FIG. 6 a partial sectional view of the barrier post according to FIG. 4;in the area of the upper end of the motion screw;

FIG. 7 is a view of the head of the barrier post, in section;

FIG. 8 is a section through a folded-down barrier post, with the motionscrew positioned at its head;

FIG. 9 is a section through the barrier post according to FIG. 8, inupright position;

FIG. 10 shows the barrier post of FIG. 8 in a lateral elevational view,in the half-raised position;

FIG. 11 is a cross section through the barrier post;

FIG. 12 is an elevational view of a folded-down post with safeguardagainst raising;

FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of a safeguard against raising,with a cable loop integrated in the driveway;

FIG. 14 shows a barrier post with double hinge in a lateral elevationalview; and

FIG. 15 shows the barrier post of FIG. 14 in a top view.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION

A barrier post in lying position is shown in FIG. 1. This barrier postlies on the driveway , to which its 3 is secured, for instance byholding screws. It is also possible to cast the base 3 into thedriveway, to weld it thereto, or to connect it with the driveway 2 in another way.

The barrier post 1 has in addition to the base 3, a tube 5 connected tothe base 3 via a swivel hinge 4. This tube 5 is brought from thehorizontal into the vertical position about the swivel joint 4, as canbe seen from FIGS. 2 and 3.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 3, this swivel hinge 4 is formed by alower hinge 6 and an upper hinge 7, whereby the lower hinge 6 is aconnection between the base and a motion screw, while the upper hinge 7effectuates directly the connection between the base 3 and the tube 5.

FIG. 4 shows the inside of the barrier post 1 in an upright position. Itwill be clear that the upper hing 7 and lower hinge 6 are arranged at adistance from each other and at the opposite wall or sides of the tube5. In the middle between them, a cylinder lock 44 is arranged, whichsecures the tongue 51 (of the tube 5) with the bore 52 (of the base 3)when the cylinder lock 44 is correspondingly engaged.

The raising and lowering of the barrier post 1 is performed via themotion screw 11 which serves as a kind of guide 8, and which on the onehand, is connected to the base (3) and, on the other hand, with the tube(5). The rotation of the motion screw is caused by the motor (13) viathe drive (12), whereby a control element (14), here not shown indetail, can switch the motor (13) on and off.

The motion nut (15) has a screwthread corresponding to that whichpresents a threading corresponding to the of the motion screw (11) issecured on the tube, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 4. When the motionscrew (11) is driven, a shortening takes place which forcibly causes thetube (5) to swing about the upper hinge (7) into the horizontalposition. When by means of the motor (13) the motion screw is rotated inthe opposite direction, the tube (5), respectively the barrier post (1)is raised again.

The motor (13) with the drive (12) and the motion screw (11) are held attheir lower end by an end portion (45) which has a pistol-likeconfiguration and is secured via the lower hinge (6) at its pistolhandle end. This end portion (45) is correspondingly guided by a holder(46) which is fastened to the tube wall (50) and has a slot (47).

FIG. 5 shows the arrangement of the holder (46) with the slot (47).While the outer handle end (48) receives the lower hinge (6), the innerhandle end (49) is so shaped as to always insure that a permanent sealwith respect to the tube wall (50) exists. For this purpose, the handleend (49) has a curved shape, whereby, during the lowering of the barrierpost (1) as shown in FIG. 5, this handle end (49) projects outwardlybeyond the tube wall (50) for a short time.

FIG. 6 illustrates the motion control during lowering and raising of thebarrier post (1), by means of an upper limit switch (53) and a lowerlimit switch (54). These limit switches (53, 54) during the movement ofthe motion screw (11) through the motion nut (15), come to push againstthe upper edge (55) or the lower edge (55') of the motion nut (15). Alsoclearly shown is here the arrangement of a spring (22) on the motionscrew, which supports the raising operation, as will be explained later.

FIG. 7 shows a section of the head (56) of the barrier post (1). A themotion nut (15), a receiver (57) for the individual controltransmitters, and a timer (59) are arranged, and thereabove a safetydevice 58 against raising is mounted. It is also conceivable to locatethe receiver (57) in the end portion of the head (56), or to combine itwith the safety device 58 against unintentional raising. This safetydevice 58 against raising will be explained in detail later. FIG. 7 alsoshows the pivot 10 connecting the nut to the head 56 of the tube 5.

The embodiment which can be seen in FIGS. 8 to 11 differs from the onedescribed above in that the motion screw (11) is here fastened to thehead while the motion nut (15) effectuates the raising and lowering, dueto a corresponding guide (8). To the guide (8) the sliding guide (9) isagain movably connected, wherefor here too an upper hinge is used, whichcan be seen especially from FIG. 10.

The drive is lodged inside the tube (5). This drive is connected via thepin (10) with the sliding guide (9) and thereby also with the guide (8),so that at an upward movement of the pin (10), the sliding guide (9) isconcurrently lifted, and together therewith in the end also the entiretube (5). Details will be referred to below. FIG. 10 shows how thesliding guide (9) and the pivotal guide (8) swing in order to entrainthe tube (5) and to finally bring it into vertical position.

Inside the tube (5) the already mentioned screw (11) is mounted. Thismotion screw (11) is set into rotation via the drive (12) and the motor(13) and thereby entrains the motion nut (15) either upwardly ordownwardly. The travel of the motion nut (15) depends on the rotationdirection of the motion screw (11). The direction of rotation isestablished by the control element (14), whereby this control element(14) is equipped with remote-control means, so that a remote-control ofthe barrier post (1) becomes possible with simple means.

As already mentioned, the motion nut (15) is provided on both sides withpins (10, 16) which bring about the connection with the sliding guide(9).

The pins (10, 16) are releasably mounted to the motion nut (15),especially via the threading (17, 18) and screwed in such a manner thatwhen the polyhedron (19) is engaged, each of the two pins (10, 16) canseparately be removed. After the pins (10, 16) have been unscrewed, thebarrier post (1) can be activated manually. Through the shifting of thetube (5), the guide (8) and the sliding guide (9) are displaced at thesame time, until the tube reaches either the vertical or the horizontalposition.

In order to insure an unobjectionable drive of the motion screw (11),the screw is mounted at its lower end in a bearing (20), which is fixedvia holding shells (21), or supported on the respective base, and inaddition thereto also a spring, (22) is supported. The springcharacteristic or its spring force is so calculated that the raisingtorque is almost compensated. The drive is relieved by this spring (22)each time during raising of the tube and the operation of the barrierpost (1) is thereby considerably facilitated.

The free ends (23) of the pins (10, 16) are equipped with trihedronsockets (19), as clearly shown in FIG. 8. In this in the small drawingnext to FIG. 8. This way, it is possible to operate the barrier post (1)manually, which for instance can become necessary to give access tofirefighters.

It is self-understood that the motion screw (11) is provided with anexternal thread (24) and the motion nut (15) with a correspondinginternal threading (25). As a result, it is possible to raise or lowerthe motion nut (15) corresponding to the direction of rotation impartedto the motion screw (11), whereby it concurrently entrains the tube (5),as already mentioned.

FIG. 9 shows the spring (22) in relaxed position. Here, the barrier post(1) is in the position shown in FIG. 3. When the barrier post or thetube (5) is lowered, the spring (22) is again compressed by the motionnut (15), until it assumes the position which can be seen in FIG. 8.

In order to clarify the special configuration of the guide (8) and thesliding guide (9), in FIG. 10 the position shown in FIG. 2 is againillustrated at a larger scale. Jamming points are avoided here, due tothe fact that on the base (3) and on the tube (5), correspondinginclines 26, 27 are provided: whereby the incline (26) also has inaddition a rear wall (30) which insures that there really are nopossibilities to create jamming points. Also the partition (28, 29) onthe base (3) and on the guide (8) insure that such jamming points do notoccur. The inclines (26,27), i.e. all contact edges (36, 37, 38) whichare so bevelled that even when they have to be held with the fingers orthere is manual intervention, the fingers can not be caught therein.

The sliding guide (9) is formed as a stable hollow tube, in order toallow a smooth sliding along the tube (5) and to achieve a secureguiding, and thereby trasmission of forces from the motion nut (15) tothe sliding guide (9) and thereby to the barrier post (1). This holloowtube (31) or the sliding guide (9) is, as already mentioned,articulatedly connected to the guide (8) by the joint (32), so that aparallel sliding motion of the walls of the hollow tube (31) withrespect to the walls of the tube (5) and the tube edges (34, 35) isinsured. The numeral (33) indicates the slot whose edges run parallelwith the tube edges (34, 35).

It has already been mentioned that all contact edges (36, 37, 38) are sobevelled, namely in the direction of the inner space (39), that even atthe touch no jamming occurs.

The upper margin (40) and the lower margin (41) of the sliding guide (9)are suitably provided with a gasket (42) to prevent the penetration ofwater and dirt. This is shown in FIG. 11.

In FIG. 12, a folded-down barrier post (1), remote-controlled from anapproaching vehicle, is shown. In the barrier post (1) in the area ofthe head (56) an additional receiver (57) and a safety device 58 againstraising are arranged, which works according to the so-calledDoppler-effect. A field which is disturbed when the vehicle passes overit can also be created by means of a radar-survey field, also anultrasound field or with the aid of a corresponding opto-electronicdevice, which disturbance is registered by the receiving device andserves for turning off or blocking the receiver (57). In this way, thereceiver (57) cannot be activated and turn on the motor (13) as long asthe vehicle is over the barrier post (1). When the vehicle leaves itsparking spot, the survey field comes bask to normal, the receiver (57)is no longer blocked so that then the transmitter assigned to the sendercan activate the motor (13) and the post can again be brought into itsvertical position. The antenna (63) with the thereto connected amplifier(64) can be itself made activatable or disconnected, by assigning asensor (61) to the head (56) of the barrier post (1), which fine-tunesthe antenna (37) only when the barrier post (1) is already folded down.This feeler (61) is suitably built to be at the same time a supportelement (65), which offers support to the barrier post (1) as such onthe driveway (2).

According to FIG. 13, an induction loop is provided underground, which,when the vehicle passes over it, blocks the receiver, so that it can notbe switched on. When the parking place or the corresponding driveway (2)is vacated, the induction loop, resp. the cable loop is passed over fora second time, whereby the receiver (57) is switched on or activated.The arrangement of such a damped cable loop (62) on which the vehicle(60) stands, is correspondingly indicated in FIG. 13.

Further possibilities for a safety device against raising (58) are to befound in an electronic controls with step-by-step function, which atevery new impulse causes the direction of the motion to be reversed. Itis also possible to build into the post a metal detector, which switchesthe receiver, when the barrier post is completely or partially coveredby the vehicle (60). Finally, the sender can be provided with a on-andoff switch, in order to force the user to a conscious activation. Thesame goes for a multiple activation of the emitter, which for instanceprovides that within a certain time, a signal is to be emitted severaltimes, i.e. two or three times, until it leads to a certain switchingprocess. Finally the sender per se can be locked or blocked by the useof a thereto-assigned personal chip, which can be removed when leavingthe vehicle and reinserted when the driver returns to the vehicle.Finally, the parking place can be provided with a switch which isactivated by the weight of the vehicle, and which switches the receiveroff, and then later, when leaving the parking place, switches it onagain. Finally, it can be arranged that the sender should emit, besidesa radio signal, also a polarized light beam, so that the radio signalbecomes only then a switching signals, when at the same time the controldevice can also receive the polarized light. Finally, safety labels canbe used, similar to the ones used in retail stores against shoplifting.These labels are fastened under the bumper of the vehicle (60) and arerecognized by the receiver (57) in the base of the post. At the movementof recognition, the receiver is also switched off, whereby these labelshave a metal strip made of a special alloy, so that correspondingactivation can be reserved for each corresponding vehicle. Particularlyadvantageous is a switching system wherein the receiver (57) has to befine-tuned by the emitter every time. Hereby, at least an unintentionalraising of the post (1) underneath the vehicle (60) is prevented.

FIGS. 14 and 15 are meant to clarify a further safety device, which atthe same time acts as a safety device against theft. For this purpose,the barrier post (1) is equipped, in addition to the swivel joint (4)which is built as a horizontal hinge, with a second vertically arrangedarticulation (66). The horizontally lying hinge is thereby, as shown inFIG. 15, arranged in the travel direction of the vehicle not shown inthis figure, while the second articulation (44) is disposed vertically,as shown.

Prior to the entering of the driveway (2), respectively the parkingspace (67), the barrier post (1) is in the position shown in FIG. 14.When the respective vehicle (60) reaches the parking space, the drive inthe barrier post (1) is activated through the remote control, i.e.through the here not shown emitter, so that the post (1) is swung aboutthe swivel hinge (4) respectively the corresponding drive shaft, andfolded down in the direction of the driveway. When the barrier post (1)has reached this postion, the drive is stopped, and the swivel driveassigned to the articulation (66), respectively to the correspondingdrive shaft becomes effective, in order to swing the barrier post (1)from its transversal direction as per FIG. 15 into the longitudinaldirection. Then, the vehicle (60) can assume its place on the parkingspace (67), whereafter the barrier post (1) is swung back from itslongitudinal direction into the transversal direction, namely over theswivel drive which when it reaches the final position switches on thedrive assigned to the swivel hinge (4), respectively to thecorresponding shaft, so that the barrier post (1) swings back again intothe vertical position. The barrier post (1) is thereby slightly offsetwith respect to the middle, as can be seen from FIG. 15, so that in anemergency, it can be passed also in its transversal direction. This way,it is particularly insured that the horizontally lying barrier post (1)always has the required freedom of movement during swinging under thevehicle (60). For defining the parking space, stones or the like can beprovided laterally, so that a cross-parking is effectively prevented.

I claim:
 1. A barrier post adapted to control access of a vehicle to aprotected zone, comprising:a base anchored to the ground at said zone; atube mounted on said base and swingable between an upright position anda recumbent position; swivel hinge means for enabling swinging of saidtube between said positions, said swivel hinge means including a lowerhinge and an upper hinge respectively at lower and upper levels andhorizontally offset from one another, one of said hinges connecting oneend of said tube to said base; a motor and motor-driven drive receivedin said tube; means propelled by said motor and said motor-driven driveand received in said tube for displacing said tube between saidpositions at said swivel hing emenas, said means propelled be said motorand said motor-driven drive including:a screw member extending withinsaid tube and retained against linear movement parallel to the screwmember in said tube and driven by said drive, a nut member threaded ontosaid screw member and displaceable linearly upon rotation of said screwmember by said drive, and means for connecting one of said membersswingably with said tube; and means for connecting the other of saidmembers to the other of said hinges whereby rotation of said screwmember displaces said tube about both said hinges of said swivel hingemeans.
 2. The barrier post defined in claim 1 wherein said screw memberis connected to said lower hinge by a pistol-handle shaped end portionand said nut member is secured to said tube at an opposite end thereof.3. The barrier post defined in claim 2 wherein said lower hinge ispivotably connected to an outer handle end of said pistol handle portionand a wall of said tube reaches to an inner handle end of said pistolhandle portion.
 4. The barrier post defined in claim 1 wherein saidupper hinge is located at an inner side of said tube and said lowerhinge at an outer side of said tube with respect to a direction ofpivoting between said positions.
 5. The barrier post defined in claim 1wherein said motor and said motor-driven drive are mounted together withsaid screw member in a holder formed with a slot provided on an innerinside wall of said tube and transversely movable between said lowerhinge and said nut member.
 6. The barrier post defined in claim 1wherein said tube has a tongue reaching into a region of said base andsaid base and said tongue are provided with aligned bores between saidhinges engaged by the cylinder of a lock.
 7. The barrier post defined inclaim 1 wherein said screw member is secured in a part of said tuberemote from said one end of said tube and said means for connecting theother of said members to the other of said hinges includes a slidingguide slidably on said tube and connected to said nut member fordisplacement therewith, and a further guide articulated to said slidingguide and connected to said upper hinge.
 8. The barrier post defined inclaim 7 wherein said sliding guide is a hollow tubular elementsurrounding said tube and said guides are connected by an articulationand said sliding guide is connected to said nut member by removablepins.
 9. The barrier post defined in claim 7 wherein said pins areguided in slots formed in said tube parallel to handle edges of saidtube.
 10. The barrier post defined in claim 1 wherein said screw memberis supported in a bearing above said swivel hinge means and between saidbearing and said nut member, a spring is provided bracing said nutmember away from said swivel hinge means.
 11. The barrier post definedin claim 10 wherein said spring has a spring force approximatelycompensating the force required for raising said tube from saidrecumbent position to said upright position.
 12. The barrier postdefined in claim 1, further comprising a receiver at the other end ofsaid tube controlling said motor and blockable when a vehicle is in saidzone to prevent raising of said tube from said recumbent position tosaid upright position.
 13. The barrier post defined in claim 12 whereinsaid receiver includes a microwave emitter and pickup operating by theDoppler-effect and connected to block said receiver when aDoppler-effect occurs.
 14. The barrier post defined in claim 13 whereinsaid emitter and pickup are switchable by a sensor activated by impactin a region of said zone.
 15. The barrier post defined in claim 12wherein an emitter for a label system adapted to be carried by thevehicle is provided to block said receiver upon the detection of a labelcorresponding to said emitter and affixed to said vehicle.
 16. Thebarrier post defined in claim 1, further comprising a pressure switch inthe region of said zone responsive to the presence of said vehicle forblocking said receiver.
 17. The barrier post defined in claim 1, furthercomprising an induction loop imbedded in the region of said zone andresponsive to said vehicle for blocking said receiver.
 18. The barrierpost defined in claim 1, further comprising an articulation between saidbase and said tube in addition to said swivel hinge means and pivotallyconnecting said tube to said base for pivotal movement about a verticalaxis and provided with a pivoting drive in addition to said motor. 19.The barrier post defined in claim 18 wherein said hinges are horizontalhinges and said motor and pivoting drive are connected to be alternatelyoperable.
 20. The barrier post defined in claim 1, further comprising asignal emitter connected with sensors on said base disposed laterallywith respect to said tube and with said motor.